Cocaine Shipped From Colombia In 'Christmas Decorations' Leads To Arrest
BOSTON (CBS) -- A Randolph man won't be having a "White Christmas" this year after he was caught accepting a package from Colombia containing more than 200 grams of cocaine hidden in Christmas-themed packaging.
Nonso Obiora, 28, of Randolph, was arrested Wednesday for drug trafficking after he took possession of the drugs, delivered via UPS.
The Suffolk County District Attorney's office said the package was presented to Customs and Border Protection officials last week by UPS employees. CBP officers inspected the package, containing two cardboard tubes covered in Christmas-themed wrapping, and found that about 230 grams of cocaine were hidden in the bases of the tubes. They resealed the package and sent it to Boston ICE agents.
The package was addressed to a "Victor Velasquez" in Dorchester, but nobody by that name was found to live at the listed address. Boston Police, State troopers, and ICE agents tried to deliver the package Monday, but nobody answered the door.
When they tried again Tuesday, a woman who answered the door said she could accept packages for "Velasquez." Police told her the package contained a large amount of cocaine after she signed for it. They allowed her to text "Velasquez" and make plans for him to pick the package up.
Around 3 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, Obiora arrived to pick the package up and was arrested. Police determined that "Velasquez" was actually Obiora, and that he had been convicted in the past for possession of a Class B substance with intent to distribute.
Police said Obiora also had five grams of heroin in the car he drove to pick up the package.
Obiora was arraigned Wednesday in Dorchester Municipal Court, where he was held on $250,000 cash bail and ordered to surrender his passport. He is expected to be back in court Jan. 5.